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San Diego, CA
69.8 °F
Festival Activities
Event Hours
Friday, Dec. 2: 5:00-10:00 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 3: noon-10:00 p.m.
Museums open free from 5:00–9:00 p.m. both evenings
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Take a holiday ride on the historic and iconic carousel.
Near the San Diego Zoo Zone $3
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Santa’s Express Miniature Railroad ($3)
A 3 minute holiday ride
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Experienced volunteers provide festival information. ATM machine, snacks/drinks and unique holiday shopping ideas.
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Member-created holiday crafts, a Christmas CD, and information about the Blind Community Center. Carolers accompanied by guitar perform every hour.
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Santa Lucia procession. 6 & 8pm both nights
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Hourly dance performances beginning at 5:15pm featuring tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop and more at the Casa del Prado Patio stage. Photos with Santa, Elves & Reindeer. Pasta with tomato-basil pesto, and hot and cold beverages. Cookie decorating.
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International Christmas Festival
Traditional and seasonal ethnic foods and holiday beverages. Entertainment at the Cottage stage.
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Authentic chicken teriyaki, yaki-soba with grilled vegetables, hot green tea and apple cider.
**The Garden interior will not be open.
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The Balboa Park Puppet Guild will present an adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. Twelve puppeteers bring animal characters to life in this revival of a holiday tradition.
Free shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. The Puppet Store will be open Friday and Saturday evenings from 5 to 8:30 p.m. with wonderful gift items for sale.
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Gingerbread creations from the Epilepsy Foundation’s Gingerbread City. Mingei International Museum reveals the beauty of use in folk art, craft and design from all eras and cultures of the world.
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Exhibitions On View: Infinite Balance: Artists and the Environment, See/Saw: Annual Youth Exhibition.**Closed during daytime hours – opening at 5:00pm**
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Explore 100+ hands-on exhibits for all ages including “Motion Mania” and “Block Busters!” Or take in one of three giant IMAX® films in the Heikoff Dome Theater (additional fee). Enjoy overflowing bread bowls of clam chowder or chili, hot chocolate, festive cookies, hot apple cider, and cinnamon buns at Galileo’s Holiday Eats.
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With a Winter Wonderland theme, open event locations include, Pavilion of Flight, Museum Exhibition Floor, 3D-4D Theater, Motion/Skills Simulators, Event Networks Store. Closed Areas include: Museum (SOA) Store, Children’s Aviation Action Hanger, Space: A Journey to Our Future and Observation Deck. Child-friendly activities including Aviation Holiday inspired craft projects and opportunities to take a photo with Santa.
Live entertainment, food and beverages including a 21+ beer garden.
Museum closed 12/2 until 3:00pm. Free from 3:00-10:00pm. Last admission 9:30pm.
Museum closed 12/3 until 2:00pm. Open free 2:00-10:00pm. Last admission 9:30pm
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Handmade Christmas ornaments available for sale at artisan shop. Traditional roasted chestnuts, cider, kettle corn, coffee and soda available outside in the arcade. Open 10am-9pm.
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Exhibits highlight the icon of the 20th century–the automobile. Photos with Santa outside of the museum. **Closed during daytime hours – opening at 5:00pm**
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Excerpts from The Nutcracker Ballet at 6, 7 & 8 p.m. on the Casa del Prado stage.
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“Through the Eyes of Children” is the theme for the annual festival of decorated trees and creative floral designs in Casa del Prado, Room 101. Traditional gingerbread cookies and fresh protea flowers for sale.
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San Diego’s rich sports history comes alive in a festive holiday setting. Enjoy free children’s holiday movies in our theater with photo opportunities available with Santa and his Elf.
Children’s Holiday Movie Theater Schedule:
5:00pm Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (51 minutes)
6:00pm Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (47 minutes)
7:00pm Frosty the Snowman (25 minutes)
7:30pm Frosty Returns (25 minutes)
8:00pm A Charlie Brown Christmas (25 minutes)
8:30pm It’s Christmastime Again Charlie Brown (25 minutes)
Home Plate Sports Café will be serving up a selection of great entertainment, food and beverages. In addition to their pub favorites, Home Plate will present a collection of "Team Pleasers" ™ aka Ballpark foods: Hot Dogs, Sausages, Burgers, Chili, Nachos, Popcorn, Sweets and much more. Musical entertainment will be provided by singer/songwriter/guitarist Rick Diaz.
Baked goods, candy, beverages and holiday and sport-themed crafts offered by the Madres outside the museum.
**Friday: closed during daytime hours – opening at 5:00pm**
**Saturday: opening at 12:00pm**
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Entertainment and holiday shopping. 12/2, San Diego Harmony Ringers, 6:30-7:20pm; 7:45-8:30pm. 12/3, St. Mark’s Bell Choir, 6:30-7:20pm; 7:45-8:30pm. Museum and History Store open on Friday, 12/2 from 10am-4pm. Closed 4-5pm, then open for FREE from 5-9pm. Museum and History Store and Library CLOSED from 10am-5pm on Saturday, 12/3. Open for FREE from 5-9pm.
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Students perform a variety of holiday musical numbers.SDJT will also be selling holiday refreshments!
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Fossil, mineral and lapidary museum.
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Largest operating model railroad museum in North America features the Annual LEGO Train Exhibit—a display of the Southern California LEGO Train Club’s latest creations. Holiday art displayed around the museum featuring Angela Trotta Thomas’ work.
**Closed during the day, Friday Dec. 2. Opening at 5:00pm**
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Holiday fun under the dome! SDMoM transforms the historic Evernham Hall into two unique festive experiences, the Holiday Hofbräuhausand Christmas Cantina opening both nights at 5:00pm. Enjoy beer, wine and other specialty drinks as well as entertainment, live music and more. Hungry? Stop by the Taco Stand and Brathaus, and save room for delectable dessert offerings.
Don’t miss the return of the Tortilla Lady, roving mariachis, folkloric dancers and much more.
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Visit the Museum’s permanent exhibition, Fossil Mysteries. Holiday tunes in the atrium by the Pomerado Brass Quintet (5 –6 pm) and the Tuba4s (6–8 pm). View the Museum’s giant-screen presentation of Ocean Oasis. (Theater schedule will be posted at the Museum.) Mistletoe, coffee and other beverages for sale. Please note: special exhibition All That Glitters: The Splendor and Science of Gems and Minerals will be closed to the public during December Nights.
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Santa’s Express Miniature Railroad ($3) & Skyfari ($4)
Enjoy spectacular views of Balboa Park December Nights and Downtown San Diego from the Zoo’s Skyfari Aerial Tram Ride. All tickets for the Skyfari are round trips only with no on or off privileges on the far side of the Zoo, $4.00 dollars. The Zoo will not be open except for access to and from the Skyfari Aerial Tram. Santa’s Express Miniature Railroad (near the Zoo exit) will take a 3 minute holiday ride, $3
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Visit 37 art studios and a courtyard full of regional artist display booths assure the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Other local San Diego County artists will be on the patio displaying a variety of art for unique Holiday gift ideas.
Take photos with Santa from 5:00-10:00pm and get a candy cane. ($3 donation).
Food offerings include: Sweinersswiss hot dogs, Mariscos Mi Playita fish tacos and burritos, Maddy kettle korn, Neiderfrank's Ice Cream, hot chocolate, cider and more!
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The Old Globe Theatre will be open, featuring the Globe’s legendary costumes and a scene onstage from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” Popcorn and photos with The Grinch, hosted by the Globe Guilders. Lady Carolyn’s Pub serves food and non-alcoholic beverages and the Helen Edison Gift Shop presents a Dr. Seuss shopping experience with toys, gifts and games.
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The Prado at Balboa Park
Restaurant and Lounge: Regular menu. Walk-ins only. Live music in the Courtyard & Lounge.
In the Plaza de Panama the Prado Pub at the Square is offering pub fare of fish & chips, burgers, garlic french fries and crispy fried green beans. Inside the square, The Prado Pub also offers a full bar with cocktails, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. Enjoy some holiday cheer with one of their specialty cocktails or a pint of Karl Strauss Beer.
Outside the square Chef Deborah Scott's Chop Soo-ey Gourmet Food Truck serves: Wild boar chili with jalapeno corn bread & chipotle honey butter; El Pignini sandwich with yam fries; Fried shrimp tacos with pineapple Cole slaw; Bacon blue cheesy waffle fries with Tabasco onions; Apple cranberry crisps with whip cream & Hot spiced apple cider:
The new Ms. Patty Melt Gourmet food truck experience serves: The Patty Melt with waffle fries; the Chicken Patty; 4 cheese lobster Mac ‘n Cheese with mixed greens; Bread pudding with hard sauce; Hot chocolate with marshmallows and whip cream.
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Galleries feature European and American masters and Asian treasures. Mexican Modern Painting from the Andres Blaisten Collection features works from one of the premiere collections of Mexican art and includes artists such as María Izquierdo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, and many others.Holiday music in Hibben Gallery: 12/2, La Jolla Renaissance Singers, 5pm; Pacific Camerata, 7pm. 12/3, Courtly Noyse, 5pm; InaChord, 7pm.
** Closed during daytime hours – open at 5:00pm**
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Masterworks in the collection cover 700 years of history and range from 14th century altarpieces through 18th century portraits and landscapes to 19th century still lifes. The foyer features the Timken’s annual holiday tree with the Schlappi Collection of Hord and Schlappi ornaments.
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Unique, handcrafted items such as clothing, toys, ornaments, jewelry, artifacts from Africa, Latin America, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia and many more countries.
